Afghanistan: Interpreters

Baroness Coussins: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they will offer a fast-track process for asylum applications to any Afghan interpreters who do not wish to take advantage of the financial incentive package to remain in Afghanistan.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: The Secretary of State for Defence laid a Statement before Parliament on 4 June 2013 (Official Report, cols. 87-89WS) outlining the redundancy package to be offered to locally engaged staff in Afghanistan. This Statement was repeated by the noble Lord, Lord Astor of Hever, on 4 Jun 2013 (Official Report, col. WS 89).

Alexander Litvinenko

Lord Pearson of Rannoch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether their decision to normalise relations with Russia took account of the consideration by a coroner of that country’s alleged involvement in the death of Alexander Litvinenko in London in November 2006.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: There has been no change to the Government’s position on Alexander Litvinenko. We remain committed to seeking justice in the case and believe that the right place for a trial for the two suspects identified by the Crown Prosecution Service is in the UK.
	Russia, a fellow UN Security Council member, is one of our most important global partners and it is right that we maintain high-level contact on matters of importance for the prosperity and security of both our countries. There remain areas where we disagree, and we will continue to raise issues of concern, including individual cases, with the Russian authorities.

Animal Boarding Establishments Act 1963

Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to review and update the Animal Boarding Establishments Act 1963 with regard to the care of domestic animals.

Lord De Mauley: There are no proposals to review the Animal Boarding Establishments Act 1963.

Armed Forces: Defence Budget

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much of the Ministry of Defence underspend of £7.9 billion in 2010–11 was rolled over and subsequently spent on defence.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government how much of the Ministry of Defence underspend of £3.6 billion in 2011–12 was rolled over and subsequently spent on defence.

Lord Astor of Hever: In financial year 2011-12 there was an underspend against the Supplementary Estimate for core budget of £269 million in near-cash, or less than 1% of the defence budget. In both years there were underspends against the Supplementary Estimate for the net additional costs of military operations, which are paid for from the special reserve, and war pensions, both of which can vary significantly as a consequence of factors beyond the department’s control.
	The rest of the underspend against the Supplementary Estimates in these two years was related to non-cash provisions for events or changes that did not materialise in year, including inventory write-offs of equipment following the strategic defence and security review in 2010; movements in indexation factors and foreign exchange derivatives; impairments and depreciation; increases in the value of nuclear provisions; and changes in the accounting treatment of leased land. As this was a combination of non-cash resource and annually managed expenditure (which is also non-cash), it was not available for use on defence capabilities; and it does not represent a reduction in defence's spending power.

Armed Forces: Medals

Lord West of Spithead: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress has been made in the establishment of a Merchant Navy Medal for meritorious service.

Earl Attlee: The recently received paper from the Merchant Navy Medal Fund is receiving active consideration.

Bread and Flour Regulations 1998

Baroness Cumberlege: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the health effects on women and children of the repeal of the Bread and Flour Regulations 1998.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the impact on osteoporosis rates in England of the repeal of the Bread and Flour Regulations 1998.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the case for continued fortification of bread and flour with calcium and the impact any change would have on osteoporosis rates in England.

Earl Howe: The Government asked the Scientific Advisory Committee on Nutrition (SACN) to consider the implications of removal of the regulations on public health. The SACN concluded that removal of added calcium from flour would increase the proportion of the population with low intakes from 15% to 21% for girls; from 8% to 12% for boys; and from 6% to 9% for women aged 19 to 64 years. This could increase rates of osteoporosis but it is not possible to assess the precise impact since bone health is affected by other lifestyle factors.
	The National Diet and Nutrition Survey demonstrates that a high proportion of girls and women already have low iron in the United Kingdom. The SACN concluded that removal of iron from wheat flour would increase the proportions with poor intake of iron from 44% to 50% for girls and from 22% to 25% for women aged 19 to 64 years.
	The SACN conclusions have been utilised in the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs (DEFRA) consultation on the Bread and Flour Regulations. This consultation ended in March and the department is working with Defra in considering the responses.

British Library

Lord Avebury: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the economic value to the United Kingdom generated by the British Library; whether that assessment takes account of the British Library research paper Economic Evaluation of the British Library, published in April; and what impact that assessment will have on funding allocated to the library in the next spending round.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: DCMS welcomes assessments which promote a better understanding of the economic value of its sponsored arm’s-length bodies, such as the British Library’s recent Economic Evaluation. DCMS will take into account a wide range of evidence and representations as part of the spending round process.

Children: Looked-after Children

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have plans to publish in full the responses to the recent Department for Education consultation Changes to the Delegation and Inspection of Functions for Looked After Children and Care Leavers, which closed on 28 February.

Lord Nash: It is not normal practice to publish individual responses to consultations. Aggregated responses to this consultation and the Government’s planned next steps were published on 13 May this year.1
	1 https://www.education.gov.uk/consultations/index.cfm? action=conResults&consultationId=1869&external=no&menu=3

Children: Safeguarding Children

Baroness Stern: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, in the light of revisions made to the Working Together to Safeguard Children guidance which came into effect on 15 April, whether they still consider inappropriate or inexpert use of physical restraint on children to be a form of physical abuse.

Lord Nash: The revised Working Together to Safeguard Children guidance has not changed the definition of physical abuse, nor has it removed any of the requirements on individuals or organisations to safeguard children. The use of restraint must always be necessary, proportionate and in accordance with the law, as well as in the best interests of the child.

Communications Data

Lord Clement-Jones: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have considered asking the Law Commission to conduct an inquiry into the operation of communications data legislation, particularly with respect to updating definitions of data and assessing whether new safeguards on legally privileged communications are required.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: The Government published their draft proposals on communications data last year; we do not judge that a Law Commission inquiry is appropriate. These underwent pre-legislative scrutiny by a joint committee of both Houses. That committee took extensive oral and written evidence from interested groups and members of the public, and both the Law Society and the Bar Council of England and Wales made submissions to the inquiry. The Intelligence and Security Committee (ISC) also conducted its own, independent, inquiry into the proposals, as this is an area that impacts on the work of the intelligence agencies.
	The joint committee reported in December 2012 and the ISC published its report in February 2013. Both committees acknowledged there was a case for legislation.

Export: Surveillance Software

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have issued any export licence to Gamma International for the export of surveillance software; and, if not, what action the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills will take to ensure that export controls are not being breached.

Viscount Younger of Leckie: The Export Control Organisation within the Department for Business, Innovation and Skills has issued no such licence. HM Revenue and Customs is responsible for the enforcement of the UK’s export controls.

Gambling: Lotteries

Baroness Jones of Whitchurch: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what information is held by the Gambling Commission on the percentage of income given to good causes by lotteries other than the National Lottery; and whether that information is published.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: Society lotteries licensed by the Gambling Commission must provide financial details to the commission for each completed lottery draw. The commission publishes an aggregate of these figures, including the percentage of proceeds given to good causes, every six months in its Industry Statistics publication at www.gamblingcommission.gov.uk.

Health: Mental Health

Lord Alderdice: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the answer by Earl Howe on 8 October 2012 (Official Report, col. 920), whether they issue guidance to managers of secure hospitals regarding the times in which patients are to be locked in their rooms; whether patients at Broadmoor Hospital are locked in their rooms at night; if so, why; and whether any such practice is consistent with any guidance issued.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what discussions they have had with managers at Broadmoor Hospital about the delivery of specialist psychotherapy services to the highly disturbed and disturbing patients at that hospital, and in particular about the level of training of the staff involved in providing those services.

Earl Howe: The three high secure hospitals may lock patients in their rooms at night in certain
	circumstances and subject to extensive safeguards including risk assessment. These circumstances and safeguards are set out in Directions 33 and 35 of the High Security Psychiatric Services (Arrangements for Safety and Security at Ashworth, Broadmoor and Rampton Hospitals) Directions 2011 and the accompanying guidance which are available on the department's website at: www.gov.uk/government/uploads/system/uploads/attachment_ data/file/151967/dh_128202.pdf.pdf.
	The guidance does not specifically reference the times at which patients can be confined, but it is clear that the guidance refers to confinement at night, and not at other times of the day. Decisions on whether patients are confined at night at Broadmoor are for Broadmoor Hospital in line with the safety and security directions and guidance.
	Decisions about the types of therapy available for patients at Broadmoor are a matter for clinicians and commissioners.

Health: Pregnancy

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what advice and information they provide to (1) women of child-bearing age, and (2) pregnant women, about the risks of iodine deficiency during pregnancy.

Earl Howe: The department does not issue specific advice to women of child-bearing age and pregnant women on the risks of iodine deficiency during pregnancy.
	However, pregnant women and women of child-bearing age are encouraged to eat a healthy balanced diet containing foods that are good sources of iodine, such as milk, dairy products and fish. Most people should be able to meet their iodine requirements by following a healthy balanced diet.
	The importance of healthy eating during pregnancy is communicated via the National Health Service Choices online Pregnancy and Baby guide, the Start4Life campaign-and the NHS-Information-Service for Parents.

Human Rights

Lord Laird: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the Paris Principles apply to (1) the Equality and Human Rights Commission, and (2) the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission; if so, what is the estimated cost of compliance by those bodies; and what assessment they have made of those principles.

Baroness Stowell of Beeston: The Paris Principles apply to the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC)and the Northern Ireland Human Rights Commission (NIHRC) in so far as the UN’s National
	Human Rights Institutions Sub Committee on Accreditation reviews those bodiesagainsttheir compliance with the principles to ensure continued accreditation as National Human Rights Institutions (NHRI). Accreditation confers international recognition, and protection, of NHRI. The EHRCand NIHRCdonot consider it necessary to conduct an assessment of theParis Principles themselves and do not separately cost compliance with them.

Immigration: Detention

Lord Avebury: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what progress is being made in the transfer of health care in the immigration detention estate from the Home Office to the Department of Health; and by what amount the budget of the Department of Health is being increased to cover those extra responsibilities.

Earl Howe: Since April 2013, NHS England (NHSE) has commissioned most health services for persons who are detained in prison or secure accommodation, including healthcare in immigration removal centres (IRCs). Prior to April 2013, healthcare in IRCs was commissioned by the United Kingdom Border Agency (UKBA).
	There is an agreed direction of travel to migrate these commissioning responsibilities to NHSE, with regulations setting out the timetable by which these responsibilities will transfer to NHSE. NHSE and the immigration and enforcement unit within UKBA are- working-together-in. accordance with-this-timetable-which- is- being managed in three phases:
	Phase 1 applies to Yarls Wood, Harmondsworth and Colnbrook IRCs and transfer is due for completion by August 2013.
	Phase 2 applies to Brook House, Campsfield House and Tinsley House and transfer is due for completion by April 2014.
	Phase 3 applies to Pennine House and should be completed between 2014 and 2015.
	NHSE's February 2013 publication, Securing Excellence in Commissioning for Offender Health identifies an indicative NHSE funding for IRC commissioning of £6 million. A copy has been placed in the Library.

Iran

Lord Stoddart of Swindon: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what is their assessment of the evidence given by James Clapper, the United States Director of National Intelligence, to the United States Senate Intelligence Committee and to the Senate Armed Services Committee that Iran does not have an active nuclear weapons programme and could not covertly produce sufficient highly enriched uranium for a bomb.

Lord Astor of Hever: James Clapper, US Director of National Intelligence, stated:
	“We assess Iran is developing nuclear capabilities to enhance its security, prestige, and regional influence and give it the ability to develop nuclear weapons, should a decision be made to do so. We do not know if Iran will eventually decide to build nuclear weapons”
	“Of particular note, Iran has made progress during the past year that better positions it to produce weapons-grade uranium (WGU) using its declared facilities and uranium stockpiles, should it choose to do so. Despite this progress, we assess Iran could not divert safeguarded material and produce a weapon-worth of WGU before this activity is discovered”.
	We share our views about Iran’s nuclear ambitions with the US Government regularly. We assess that Iran’s continuing expansion of its uranium enrichment programme, as evidenced by the latest report from the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), is improving its ability to produce weapons grade uranium, and to do so more quickly if it made a decision to do so. We also assess that if Iran started to divert safeguarded materials to produce weapons grade uranium the IAEA would almost certainly detect this before sufficient material was produced for a nuclear weapon.

London Underground: Jubilee Line

Lord Bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the costs of construction of the extension of the Jubilee Line through Docklands to Stratford against the subsequent rise in land and property values in the surrounding areas; and what research, if any, that assessment was made on.

Earl Attlee: None. Two reports were commissioned by Transport for London to assess the impact of the Jubilee Line extension on land and property values in the proximity of two Underground stations, Southwark and Canary Wharf, using different methodology and data sets:
	Land & Property Value Study—Assessing the Change in Land & Property Values Attributable to the Jubilee Line Extension, conducted by Jones Lang LaSalle, published in July 2004, and Property Value Study—Assessing the Change in Values Attributable to the Jubilee Line Extension, conducted by Atisreal and Geofutures, published in May 2005.
	The estimated cost of the Jubilee line extension was £3.5 billion. Jones Lang LaSalle’s report concluded that the estimated total uplift in land values around Southwark and Canary Wharf stations between 1992 and 2002 was approximately £2.8 billion, and Atisreal and Geofutures’ report estimated a total property value increase around the stations between 1999 and 2002 of over £2.1 billion.

Overseas Territories

Lord Ashcroft: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of An assessment of environmental protection frameworks in the UK Overseas Territories produced by the Foundation for International Environmental Law and Development and the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: We are working with representatives from the Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, Overseas Territory Governors’ Offices and relevant government departments to address the issues highlighted in the report.
	While environmental issues are devolved to territory governments, the Government are committed to working with them to address the important issues raised in the report.

Pet Animals Act 1951

Lord Black of Brentwood: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have any plans to review the Pet Animals Act 1951 with regard to the breeding and sale of pets.

Lord De Mauley: There are no proposals to review the Pet Animals Act 1951.

Ports

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answers by Earl Attlee on 21 May (WA 65–6), which, if any, rival ports were considered as creating geographical imbalances in the decision to award a capital grant for dredging in the Mersey and Liverpool Bay; whether they are aware of similar considerations being relevant to the decision on Falmouth Harbour; and which businesses they expect to be the primary beneficiaries of grants awarded in either case.

Earl Attlee: The decision to award a capital grant for dredging in the Mersey and Liverpool Bay was taken by Ministers on the basis that the area presents an exceptional challenge for regional economic development and in awareness of the fact that deepsea and feeder container business is a competitive one. The investment has the potential to benefit a range of Mersey river system users, including the post-Panamax container terminal that Peel Ports is constructing at Seaforth.
	Questions as to what factors are being taken into account by Cornwall council in relation to its decision on a grant to Falmouth harbour should be addressed to the council itself.

Railways: Rolling Stock

Lord Bradshaw: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Wallace of Saltaire on 10 April (WA 332) in which he stated that it was “for franchise bidders to determine the rolling stock requirements for routes within the franchise area”, whether they will specify in the tenders for the East Coast Main Line franchise the number and type of rolling stock to be used on those routes.

Earl Attlee: The specification of rolling stock on the intercity east coast franchise is currently under consideration. It will be for franchise bidders to determine the most appropriate deployment of the available rolling stock to meet the invitation to tender (ITT) requirements.

Railways: Rolling Stock

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Earl Attlee on 4 June (WA 179), why they are not putting out to competitive tender the supply of rolling stock for the new East Coast Main Line franchise competition; and how they plan to demonstrate value for money in that process.

Earl Attlee: The Intercity Express Programme procurement was a competitive process to purchase rolling stock services to run on the Great Western and east coast main lines, including the replacement of the Intercity 225 stock on the east coast main line. This was evaluated as part of the tender process and formed a priced option within the contracts. The department is currently undertaking further work to look at the value for money of the 225 replacement option in the context of the other rolling stock options available.

Roads: Bridges

Lord Berkeley: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what were the costs of upgrading bridge structures as a result of the increase in maximum weight limits for heavy goods vehicles from 32.5 tonnes to 38 tonnes, 40 tonnes and 44 tonnes on (1) the strategic road network, and (2) local authority managed roads.

Earl Attlee: The Highways Agency is responsible for motorways and trunk roads in England, and has reviewed its costs associated with increased vehicle weights, in compliance with European Union legislation. For older bridges there has been a large programme of structural assessment followed by strengthening of
	bridges where necessary. Total costs to date are £777 million overall and there is an additional allowance of £19.5 million for future costs. The funding has not been split between different vehicle weight changes.
	The management of the local road network in England, including maintenance of its bridges, is the responsibility of local highway authorities. The Government allocate capital block grant funding to local highway authorities in England (outside London) for highways maintenance which can be used for maintaining road bridges to the higher weight bearing standard where they deem it necessary. Therefore the costs of local highway authorities in strengthening bridges are not collated centrally.
	The Department for Transport has previously funded a national bridge assessment and strengthening programme. This programme was for all bridges that met certain criteria including having a span greater than 1.5 metres as well as being on the primary route network. It is estimated that since 2001 approximately £150 million has been provided to local authorities in England outside London to strengthen bridges on these routes as part of this programme.

Russia

Lord Hylton: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment they have made of the conclusions by the Russian Presidential Council for Human Rights and Civil Society in December 2011 about the convictions in December 2010 of Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Platon Lebedev; and whether they have made representations to the Government of Russia about their early release.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: We have serious concerns about the legal processes that led to the convictions of Mikhail Khodorkovsky and Platon Lebedev during both trials. The Prime Minister, my right honourable friend the Member for Witney (Mr Cameron), the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right honourable friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), and the Minister of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right honourable friend the Member for Aylesbury (Mr Lidington) have all raised this case with the Russian Government. At the 2013 UK-Russia Human Rights Dialogue senior officials made clear to the Russian authorities that we hoped to see both men released according to schedule in the second half of 2014, or earlier if the court decides.

St Helena

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government in the light of the current water shortage on St Helena, what measures they intend to take to allow the island to store more fresh water to cater for the needs of the Islanders and the tourist population expected once the new airport has been completed.

Baroness Northover: The UK Government and St Helena Government are confident that the island has adequate water resources to meet the future demands of an increased population and increased tourist numbers. The island used to support a significantly larger population than it currently does. Distribution of water is a greater problem than a general lack of water. St Helena’s mountainous terrain means that it has 11 disparate water systems making it difficult to pump water from one system, and from one area of the island to another. The current localised drought, where the north-east reservoirs are seriously affected while the rest of the island has enough water, underscores difficulties in distribution around the island.
	The St Helena Government are aware of the impact on population numbers that the airport will bring. They are incorporating this impact in their planning. This includes work in the water sector to upgrade and improve the water distribution system so it can better cope with an increased population. The UK Government are committed to delivering this and other infrastructure improvements in St Helena that will help the island prepare for air access.

St Helena

Lord Jones of Cheltenham: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what assessment has been made of the St Helena Infrastructure Improvement Programme in terms of (1) value for money, (2) adherence to programme, and (3) quality of end product.

Baroness Northover: A review to assess the progress of St Helena’s infrastructure programme was conducted in February 2012. The review found that while work on the energy sector was progressing well and meeting quality standards, the majority of the programme was not progressing as expected and overall was not providing value for money.
	Following the review DfID has been working with the St Helena Government to ensure that their capacity and capability to deliver infrastructure projects are increased. We are continuing to invest in the Government of St Helena’s infrastructure plans, bearing in mind links to the airport construction, and are also investing in better management systems and procedures.

Sudan

Lord Alton of Liverpool: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Baroness Warsi on 21 May (WA 71), whether they will approach the appropriate experts to whom she refers and ask them to archive the accounts of refugees in the Yida refugee camp who have fled the aerial bombardment of Blue Nile and South Kordofan; and what assessment they have made of the role of the international community in instigating the collection of evidence where it is alleged that crimes against humanity or genocide has occurred.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: Any gathering of evidence would likely be part of a wider international investigation into reports of genocide into Southern Kordofan and Blue Nile. We have made it clear all along that the situation deserves a full and credible independent investigation, something the Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my right honourable friend the Member for Richmond (Yorks) (Mr Hague), called for at the start of the conflict, and that those responsible for serious crimes of concern to the international community should be held to account. We will continue to discuss this issue with our international partners, as well as encouraging the Government of Sudan and Sudan People’s Liberation Movement-North to negotiate towards an immediate ceasefire that will allow full access.

Visas

Lord Avebury: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what measures are in place to ensure that persons entering the United Kingdom on the overseas domestic worker visa since 2012 are being paid and employed once in the United Kingdom according to United Kingdom employment law, with particular regard to the national minimum wage.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: In order to ensure that protections are in place for overseas domestic workers within the UK and prevent the importation of abusive employer/employee relationships, the entry clearance officer must be satisfied that the domestic worker has signed terms and conditions which certify that the individual will be paid in line with the National Minimum Wage Act. An overseas domestic worker has the same employment rights as other workers in the UK. Once in the UK, a domestic worker has access to advice on employment rights and law through the Pay and Work Rights Helpline (on 0800 917 2368) and the ACAS helpline (08457 47 47 47), both of which can provide assistance in a variety of languages and can advise on issues such as national minimum wage law. HM Revenue and Customs investigates every complaint made through the Pay and Work Rights helpline. Individuals can also pursue a claim for unpaid wages through the Employment Tribunal.
	As part of the visa-issuing process, domestic workers receive a letter informing them of their rights in the UK and that letter includes details of the relevant helplines. A copy is available at: http://www.ukba. homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/working/othercategories/domesticworkers/apply-visa/
	The Home Office does not routinely pass details of employers entering the UK with domestic workers to the Department of Work and Pensions or HM Revenue and Customs. It is the responsibility of individual employers to ensure that they comply with the UK law in relation to tax and national insurance contributions.

Visas

Lord Avebury: To ask Her Majesty’s Government which rights migrant domestic workers are informed of as part of the visa issuing process; whether the information given to workers entering the United Kingdom is published; and, if so, where.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: In order to ensure that protections are in place for overseas domestic workers within the UK and prevent the importation of abusive employer/employee relationships, the entry clearance officer must be satisfied that the domestic worker has signed terms and conditions which certify that the individual will be paid in line with the National Minimum Wage Act. An overseas domestic worker has the same employment rights as other workers in the UK. Once in the UK, a domestic worker has access to advice on employment rights and law through the Pay and Work Rights Helpline (on 0800 917 2368) and the ACAS helpline (08457 47 47 47), both of which can provide assistance in a variety of languages and can advise on issues such as national minimum wage law. HM Revenue and Customs investigates every complaint made through the Pay and Work Rights helpline. Individuals can also pursue a claim for unpaid wages through the Employment Tribunal.
	As part of the visa-issuing process, domestic workers receive a letter informing them of their rights in the UK and that letter includes details of the relevant helplines. A copy is available at: http://www.ukba. homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/working/othercategories/domesticworkers/apply-visa/.
	The Home Office does not routinely pass details of employers entering the UK with domestic workers to the Department for Work and Pensions or HM Revenue and Customs. It is the responsibility of individual employers to ensure that they comply with the UK law in relation to tax and national insurance contributions.

Visas

Lord Avebury: To ask Her Majesty’s Government on what basis, if any, those who enter the United Kingdom on the overseas domestic worker visa can reclaim unpaid wages after leaving the employer.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: In order to ensure that protections are in place for overseas domestic workers within the UK and prevent the importation of abusive employer/employee relationships, the entry clearance officer must be satisfied that the domestic worker has signed terms and conditions which certify that the individual will be paid in line with the National Minimum Wage Act. An overseas domestic worker has the same employment rights as other workers in the UK. Once in the UK, a domestic worker has access to advice on employment rights and law through the Pay and Work Rights Helpline (on 0800 917 2368) and the ACAS helpline (08457 47 47 47), both of which can provide assistance in a variety of languages and can advise on issues such as national minimum wage law. HM Revenue and Customs investigates every complaint made through
	the Pay and Work Rights helpline. Individuals can also pursue a claim for unpaid wages through the Employment Tribunal.
	As part of the visa-issuing process, domestic workers receive a letter informing them of their rights in the UK and that letter includes details of the relevant helplines. A copy is available at: http://www.ukba. homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/working/othercategories/domesticworkers/apply-visa/.
	The Home Office does not routinely pass details of employers entering the UK with domestic workers to the Department for Work and Pensions or HM Revenue and Customs. It is the responsibility of individual employers to ensure that they comply with the UK law in relation to tax and national insurance contributions.

Visas

Lord Avebury: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether the details of employers entering the United Kingdom with workers on the new overseas domestic worker visa are passed to the Department for Work and Pensions and HM Revenue and Customs to ensure that the correct national insurance and tax contributions are made for their employees.

Lord Taylor of Holbeach: In order to ensure that protections are in place for overseas domestic workers within the UK and prevent the importation of abusive employer/employee relationships, the entry clearance officer must be satisfied that the domestic worker has signed terms and conditions which certify that the individual will be paid in line with the National Minimum Wage Act. An overseas domestic worker has the same employment rights as other workers in the UK. Once in the UK, a domestic worker has access to advice on employment rights and law through the Pay and Work Rights Helpline (on 0800 917 2368) and the ACAS helpline (08457 47 47 47), both of which can provide assistance in a variety of languages and can advise on issues such as national minimum wage law. HM Revenue and Customs investigates every complaint made through the Pay and Work Rights helpline. Individuals can also pursue a claim for unpaid wages through the Employment Tribunal.
	As part of the visa-issuing process, domestic workers receive a letter informing them of their rights in the UK and that letter includes details of the relevant helplines. A copy is available at: http://www.ukba. homeoffice.gov.uk/visas-immigration/working/other categories/domesticworkers/apply-visa/.
	The Home Office does not routinely pass details of employers entering the UK with domestic workers to the Department for Work and Pensions or HM Revenue and Customs. It is the responsibility of individual employers to ensure that they comply with the UK law in relation to tax and national insurance contributions.

Waterways: Sewage

Lord Campbell-Savours: To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have plans to introduce regulations to place a responsibility on water utilities to inform the Environment Agency promptly of any illegal raw sewage released to any waterway.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government what arrangements they are making for the testing of water in the River Thames prior to organised swimming and other water sports events taking place downstream of recent illegal sewage releases from Little Marlow Sewage treatment works.
	To ask Her Majesty’s Government whether they have plans to introduce regulations to require the mandatory testing of waterways and rivers prior to recreational water activities being organised where incidents of either legal or illegal release of sewage has been recorded.

Lord De Mauley: The Government have no plans to introduce regulations to require the mandatory testing of waterways and rivers as there are already appropriate systems in place. Neither do the Government have any intention to introduce regulations to require water utilities to notify the Environment Agency of pollution incidents, as provision for this is already in place. For discharges to water, such as from sewage treatment works and combined sewer overflows, which are permitted under the Environmental Permitting Regulations (2010), there is a condition within the permits that requires the water company to notify the Environment Agency without delay following the detection of:
	any malfunction, breakdown or failure of equipment or techniques, accident, or emission of a substance not controlled by an emission limit which has caused, is causing or may cause significant pollution;the breach of a limit specified in the permit; orany significant adverse environmental effects.
	Failure to comply with this condition will result in non-compliance with the permit and potential enforcement action.
	Following the recent pollution incidents that took place at Little Marlow sewage treatment works, the Environment Agency has installed continuous water quality monitoring equipment on the River Thames downstream of the outfall for the sewage treatment works. This equipment measures ammonia levels, dissolved oxygen, turbidity and temperature. Live data from the monitors are available to members of the public from a dedicated website.
	The monitoring equipment alerts Environment Agency incident officers of any unusual readings that indicate the presence of pollution. Should any future pollution occur from Thames Water's Little Marlow works, the Environment Agency will share the information with the local river user groups and event organisers.
	The Environment Agency has been working with Public Health England and Wycombe District Council Environmental Health to advise river users of the health risk of events on the Thames.

Wills and Probate

Baroness Hayter of Kentish Town: To ask Her Majesty’s Government why they have decided not to regulate will-writing; and what is their estimate of the value of consumer detriment arising from that decision.

Lord McNally: The Government are committed to better regulation. This allows for the protection of consumers through regulation when appropriate, but also not regulating when it is not necessary.
	In this case, while the Lord Chancellor considered the LSB’s arguments carefully, he was not persuaded that regulation was the only way to address the problems faced by consumers in the will-writing market.
	It would be preferable to focus on the different causes of the problems faced by consumers, and the most appropriate means to address these specifically, without going as far as the proposed regulatory approach as an overarching solution.

World Heritage Sites: Liverpool

Lord Storey: To ask Her Majesty’s Government, further to the Written Answer by Lord Gardiner of Kimble on 24 April (WA 432), what further representations they have (1) made to, and (2) received from, the World Heritage Committee with regard to Liverpool’s (i) World Heritage status, and (ii) inclusion on the List of World Heritage in Danger.

Lord Gardiner of Kimble: Her Majesty’s Government wrote to the World Heritage Centre on 27 March to inform them of the decision not to call in the planning application for the proposed “Liverpool Waters” development for decision at national level. The World Heritage Centre replied on 29 April and we are now working with it to agree a desired state of conservation for the site. The World Heritage Committee issued a draft decision in relation to Liverpool Maritime Mercantile
	City World Heritage Site on 3 May which is available on the UNESCO website (http://whc.unesco.org/en/sessions/37COM/documents/) in document WHC-13/37.COM/7A.

Zimbabwe

Lord Goodlad: To ask Her Majesty’s Government what representations they have made to the Government of Zimbabwe regarding the payment of pensions to former civil servants in the public service in the former British Colony of Southern Rhodesia.

Lord Wallace of Saltaire: We remain very concerned by the difficulties suffered by many former Southern Rhodesian civil servants as a result of the cessation of their pension payments. We continue to regularly press the Government of Zimbabwe to live up to their responsibilities in this matter and the Parliamentary Under-Secretary of State for Foreign and Commonwealth Affairs, my honourable friend the Member for Boston and Skegness (Mr Simmonds), wrote to both the Zimbabwean Minister of Finance and the Minister for Public Services in January to urge them to find a speedy solution.
	The Government of Zimbabwe have made it clear that they have the financial resources to pay the outstanding pensions but have been unable to make payments overseas for logistical reasons. Our consul in Harare is in regular contact with the pensions director at the Zimbabwe Ministry of Public Services and we are looking at options whereby we can help facilitate this process.